Improvement in hand-stamps



Q' NTTTD STATES PATENT Ormea,

VICTOR BEAUMONT, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAN D-STAM PS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,074, dated September 22, LEGS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Vieron BEAUMONT, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hand-Stamps; and I hereby declare that the followin g is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying lrawings,n which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a handstamp constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2.,' a sectional view of the same on line x y ofFiO. 1. Fig. 3 is afrontelevation of a hand-stampl constructed ou the same principle, but under a different arrangement; Fig. 4, a sectional view of the latter on line y z of Fig. 3, the section being' made through the head and cylinder to show the internal construction.

The present invention relates to that class of hand-stamps which are known as self-inkingyhand-stamps, the iuking of the stamp being effected automatically. In all self'- inking hand-stamps heretofore in use the inking is effected by means of an inking-roller actuated to travel across the stamp and in contact therewith by and during the act ofdepressing the stamp for the purpose ot' producing an impression. There are many objections to such self-inking hand-stamps. In the first place, they are not, strictly speaking, hand-stamps, but rather partake of the gen eral character of stationary stamps operated byhand, being so constructed and yarranged in relation to a frame or standard as to preclude all possibility of its being used as a portable instrument or hand-stamp, and necessitating that the paper or object to he stamped be carried to the instrument, instead of the latter being carried to the paper. Uu the other hand, the inking-roller, in order to be effective, requires the nicest possible adjustment, and it has been found that on this account they are liable to get out of working order, while the ink, unless very repeatedly renewed and constantly used, is apt to dry or to hecome muddy7 by the dust settling upon the surface of the roller. To these and other objections, unnecessary here to enumerate, may be ascribed the prejudices existing against self-inking hand-stamps and the still generally prevailing use of the old-fashioned hands'tamp and inking-pad, requiring two differentoperations for each impression to be produced.

The objectof my invention,theretore, is, first, to dispense in seltinking hand-stamps with inking-rollers altogether; second, to so coulbine the inking mechanism with the stamp as to render the whole portable 5 third, to so construct a self-inking stamp as to firmly seize the paper or other object to he printed,there by preventing blurred impressions; fourth, 10 so arrange the parts of a self-inking handstamp as to protect both the inking-pad and stamp from dust; fifth, to so construct the whole instrument as to combine simplicity, campactness, and durability with efficiency.

' My invention consists, first, in the combination, in one instrument, of a hand-stamp with an nkingpad, under an arrangement substantially as hereinafter described, so that the stamp shall be inked automatically without the use of inking-rollers, substantially as hereinafter described; second, in the method of connecting the inkiug-pad with the head or knob of the stamp, by means of articulated pendent rods, in combination with guides or their equivalent, for giving the pad, when actuated by the knob, the requisite motion for clearing the path of the stamp; third, in combining'with the stamp and inking-pad a frame, so arranged as to constitute the means for firmly holding the paper, for supporting the instrument, and for properly guiding the pad and stamp in their various movements during the operation of the instrument, substantially as hereinafter described; fourth, in the employment, in combination with a knob and inking-pad united, as hereinafter referred to, of a shank-tubeand extension-spring for holding thevpad aga-inst the stamp when the instrument is not in use, and for maintaining the stamp ready inked before a downward motion is imparted to it, substantially as hereinafter described; fifth, in the combination, with a knob sliding upon the shank, of a helical spring located within the knob and around the sha-nk and between reverse flanges applied to the knob and shank, respectively, in the manner and for the purposes hereinafter described 5 sixth, in combining the head or knob of a handstamp operated by pressure applied to the head with the hiking-pad, so that the said pad is brought out ot' contact with the stamp, before the stamp itselt' partakes of the movement imparted to the head; seventh, in enlarging the guide-slots in or about the place in which the padrests in contact with the stamp, so as to allow of sufficient play of the pad for the occasional renewal ot' surfaces ot' contact, substantially as hereinafter shown and described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use this invention, l shall iiowprocecd to Y describe the construction and operation of lie saine by referriiig,t`or the purpose ot' illustration more particularly, to the handstainps represented in the accompanying drawings.

A in the said drawings is the stamp or type case, provided, as usual, with a shank, B, and knob or handle G. These three parts are connected in the following manner: The shank, which is a tube secured by means of a screw, a, or otherwise to the stamp, incloses a helical spring, D, whose lower end rests on a stationary pin, i, immediately above the stamp block or case when'in its normal position, wliile its upper end is housed in and butts against the interior ot' the knob, which is for that purpose recessed, leaving a tongue, t, to protrude in the center, so as to hold and steady the spring. The shank or tube is attached to the knob by a sort of loose joint formed by the reverse langes l) and c on the tube and knob, respectively. Before applying the ilange c to the knob, which is done by screws d or other equivalent means, l insert in the space between the two flanges a helical spring, c, whose function will be hereinafter explained. The stamp, with its shank and knob, is suitably fitted in a frame consisting ot' a cross-bar, F, mounted on two supportinglegs, G, with each of which is combined a slotted guide, H, whose oliice it is to properly guide the pad away out of the track ot' the stamp when the saine is operated. The crossbar is provided with a central collar, forming the guide for the shank to direct itin its upand down motion, and with one or two side grooves or orifices (as the case may be) for guiding one or two connecting-rods, s, which, starting from the head or knob of the stamp, are connected through a connecting-link, g, and by means of an articulated joint at h with the pad K. The pin t' traverses the crossbar wherein it is permanently iixed, the shank B being slotted to allow of its up-and-down pla-y upon it. with projecting1 studs u, which, fitting the slotted guides H, coniine the pad to move according to the guide when the stamp is operated.

The most important feature of my improved hand-stamp consists in the manner in which the knob or head of the stamp is connected with the pad. The object sought to be attained in so connecting these two parts is to move the pad away from the stamp before the latter is started on operating it. This is ef- The inking-pad K is provided` fected by giving the head or knob a certain amount ot'sliding motion upon the shank, and by so combining the helical springs D and e with the shank and head as to replace the said parts in their normal position relatively to each other after each stroke or after each time it is operated upon. Thespace between the tia-nge b and the bottom p of the recess in the knob shows the amount of play or sliding motion of which the knob is capable. Thus, when the spring` D is compressed by the application of pressure on the iiistriinient,t11e knob will slide along` the tube B until the bottom p of the annular recess strikes or comes in contact with the flange b. At this moment the pad, actuated by the connectingrods s and link g, shall have traveled in line of its axis away from the stamp a like distance, and the tube or shank commences its downward motion, partaking of the motion ot' the knob, while the pad, which is confined to travel in the slotted guide H, is moved out. ofthe line, and thus clear the path ot the stamp, as shown in red lines in Fig. 2 ot' the accompanying drawings. On releasing the springs D and e-t'. c., on removing the pressure from oft' the stamp-the parts reassuine their normal positions, the spring D elevating the knob C to the full extent of its expansibility, and the spring e then elevating' the tube within the knob until arrested in its upward movement by the pin i and slot o. The inking-pad, being connected with the knob by means of the links g and rods s, necessarily follows the movement ot' the knob and stamp, and comes to snugly adapt itselt' with a pressure, due to the spring l), against the types or stamp. This arrangement oii'ers the great advantage over other stamps, whether self-hiking or not, that both the stamp as well as the pad are protected against dust, the tendency of which is to till up the spaces between the relief types or igures oii the stamp, rendering it almost impossible to produce a sharp and clean impression.

The springs are compressed by applying the instrument on and pressing it against the The legs are` paper or object to be printed. thus caused to firmly grasp and hold the paper during the downward motion of the stamp, preventing the paper from slipping under the stump, and the stamp from sliding upon the paper. This will aii'ord additional security for making a clean impression.

The slotted guide H is shown in Fig. 2 to be wider in the upper end, at m a, than in the outer end, v w, and I prefer to gradually en large the slot from the curved part q T, toward the upper end. The object ot' this arrangement is to allow of the pad having a slightly-if'ibratory motion on its points of susi pension at li, so that it may assume various positions relatively to the stamp-face.

the pad during its ascending motion will be free slightly to rotate upon its center, or to If 7 therefore, the compressed spring is released,

swing upon its hinge, and thus come in contact with the stamp with an irregularity sufficient to secure the renewal of surfaces of contact.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a hand-stamp constructed on the same principle as that represented in ltigs. l and 2. It differs from the latter, that instead of two connecting-rods and links it has but one. The supporting-legs G of the frame for this purpose form an angle of ninety degrees, one of which contains the guide-slot H,'by which the pad (in this case guided byasingle stud, n) is guided to and from the stamp when the instrument is operated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination, in one instrument, ofa handstainp with an inking pad, under an arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described, so that the stamp shall be inked automatically without the use of inkingrollers, i substantially as herein set forth.

2. The method ot' connecting the inkingpad with the head or knob ot' the stamp by means of articulated pendant rods, in combination with guides or their equivalent, for giving to the pad, when actuated by the knob, the requisite motion for clearing the path ot' the stamp, substantially as herein setrforth.

3. Combining with the stamp and inkingi pad a frame so arranged as to constitute the y means for firmlyholdin g the paper, for supporting the instrument, and for properly guiding i the pad and stamp in their various movements l during the operation of the instrument, sub-I stantially as herein described. i

4. The employment, in combination with a knob and inking-pad united, as hereinbefore referred to, of a shank, tube, and extensionspring for holding the pad against the stamp when the instrumentis not in use, and for maintaining the stamp ready inked before a downward motion is imparted to it, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination, with a knob sliding upon the shank, ot' a helical spring located Within the knob and around the shank, and between reverseiianges applied to the knob and shank, respectively, in the manner and for the purposes substantially as herein described.

6. Combining the head or knob of a handstamp operated by pressure applied to the head with the inking-pad, so that the said pad is brought out of contact with the stamp before the stamp itself par-takes of the movement imparted to the head, substantially as set forth.

7. Enlarging the guide-slots in or about the plane in which the pad rests in contact With the stamp, so as to allow of sufficient play of the pad for the occa-sional renewal of surfaces of contact, substantially as herein shown and described. A

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

V. BEAUMONT.

Witnesses:

T. DEBEAUVAis, A. PoLLAK. 

